Car Review Hyundai i30 Sedan 2025

Review

Picked up the i30 in early 2025 because my old 2013 Focus was already driving me nuts — eating oil, glitching, creaking, and with petrol at 58–60 hryvnia per liter, it stopped being fun and turned into punishment. Wanted something fresher that wouldn't drain the wallet, with warranty and no surprises. Didn't consider Chinese cars on principle (though they're getting decent now), and I'd read that Hyundais just keep going without complaining. Low fuel use, looks decent, nothing to be embarrassed about. Checked the interior — wife immediately said: “Well, at least it doesn't look like a taxi.” That sealed the deal.

First few days I was driving around with a silly grin. The car is quiet, soft, nothing rattles, you press go and it just moves smoothly, no jerks or drama. You sit there thinking: where's the petrol smell, the vibrations, the feeling that something's about to fall off? Compared to the Focus the difference is huge: that one was harsh, noisy, the gearbox jerked like it was nervous, while here this “CVT or whatever they've got” works smoothly and never stresses you out. Sure, at first it felt a bit toy-like, lots of plastic, but you get used to it fast. Feels like buying a new jacket: not the dream, but comfortable and practical.

In the city the i30 is a joy. Small, nimble, you slip through Lviv or Odesa traffic jams without swearing or extra maneuvers. Fuel consumption is great — 5.8–6.5 liters if you're not pretending to be a racer. On the highway it holds 140 km/h easily, but overtaking sometimes requires flooring it, especially with the A/C on full. Suspension isn't super plush, it thumps over potholes — especially on our “roads” — but so far nothing has broken or started squeaking. For everyday life it's perfect: work, kids, shopping, everything quick, simple, no headaches.

Recently we went as a family — me, wife, two boys — to my mother-in-law near Kharkiv. Trunk stuffed with cakes, bags and gifts to the brim. Kids sat fine in the back, though the youngest complained his legs were cramped — classic story. We got there calmly, no drama. And a couple weeks ago after heavy rain I got stuck in a puddle in a mall parking lot — thought we'd have to push. But no, gentle throttle and I was out. Everyone else spinning wheels, me driving away — we laughed about it with friends for ages: “So much for front-wheel drive.”

Of course, there are downsides. Tire roar on the highway is really annoying — after 110 km/h the hum gets so loud you have to turn the radio way up. Interior plastic scratches if you look at it wrong — wife's keys already marked the doors, and as usual she says: “Your fault.” Suspension bangs hard over big bumps, sometimes you think something's definitely going to break. Rear-view camera in rain is useless, gets covered in dirt in a minute, you park by memory and feel.

Overall, I've been driving it almost a year now, and so far the pros outweigh the cursing moments. The car is simple, economical, reliable and doesn't drive you crazy. No lifelong love affair, but for the money it's a really solid choice, especially if you don't want to pour fuel by the bucket. If I had to choose again — I'd probably go for the same one, maybe with a turbo and a slightly richer spec.